Fall 2013 Chemistry and Biochemistry

[l0go]

UC (Davis) GPA: 3.078 (guessing only this matters)

Community College GPA: 3.333

Overall: 3.185

Major: Biochem and Molecular Biology

GRE: 161V, 159Q, 4 Writing. No subject.

Research: 1.5 years as an undergrad, with a co-author pub that is currently submitted for review. 1.5 years as full time lab tech, with a first author pub that is complete, but currently under an internal review. Additionally my collaborator presented our research at a conference.

Letters: All should be outstanding, all from people who know my research first hand. (advisor, collaborator, and mentor)

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Does anyone with similar stats have any tips? I finalized my list, I'm really not sure if I'm reaching too far with these, but I figured it was worth a shot

UC Davis - Chemistry

Stanford - Biosciences Biochem

UCSF - Tetrad

BU - Chemistry

UCLA - Biochemistry

UT Austin - Chemistry

UW Madison - Chemistry

U Washington - Biological Physics, Structure and Design

Cornell - Biochemistry

CU Boulder - Biochemistry

I am applying to study enzymes and proteins. My question is... should I apply to a few lower tier schools, and if so, does anyone have recommendations?

[zs3889]

Faraday,

I'm applying for Ph.D programs at UChicago, Northwestern, UI-Urbana-Champaign, UBoston, UMichigan, Washington State University, SUNY, and U Wisconsin.

SUNY as in University at Buffalo SUNY? that's where I did my undergraduate

----------------

Does anyone with similar stats have any tips? I finalized my list, I'm really not sure if I'm reaching too far with these, but I figured it was worth a shot

UC Davis - Chemistry

Stanford - Biosciences Biochem

UCSF - Tetrad

BU - Chemistry

UCLA - Biochemistry

UT Austin - Chemistry

UW Madison - Chemistry

U Washington - Biological Physics, Structure and Design

Cornell - Biochemistry

CU Boulder - Biochemistry

I am applying to study enzymes and proteins. My question is... should I apply to a few lower tier schools, and if so, does anyone have recommendations?

Stats:

GPA: 3.52

GRE: 156Q, 153V, 4AW

1 academic year of undergraduate research, pending publication until the project is completed so it's still an unknown.

I am applying to UC Davis, BU and UC Boulder as well! Have you submitted all your applications?

[l0go]

SUNY as in University at Buffalo SUNY? that's where I did my undergraduate

Stats:

GPA: 3.52

GRE: 156Q, 153V, 4AW

1 academic year of undergraduate research, pending publication until the project is completed so it's still an unknown.

I am applying to UC Davis, BU and UC Boulder as well! Have you submitted all your applications?

Not yet all of them yet! Just the ones that are due earlier. Where else are you applying?

[zs3889]

Not yet all of them yet! Just the ones that are due earlier. Where else are you applying?

Colorado State University

University of Rochester

UC Santa Barbara

University of Southern California

and maybe University of British Columbia

Not applying to any of the top school because i am not that confident! haha. And I am also trying to get into enzyme related research, well at least that is the research interest i stated in my SOP

[Faraday]

Well for anyone else applying to University of Maryland, they are apparently looking at applications. I was emaied this morning to set up a phone interview with a professor so he could answer my questions about their program. If you haven't applied yet it would probably be wise to get your application in as soon as possible.

Edited December 3, 2012 by Faraday

[paperandstaples]

has anyone applied to BC yet? the department requirements website says there should be a statement of purpose....but I'm pretty much just getting a page where I'm allowed to like insert two sentences for research interests...

[Chai_latte]

I don't have anything constructive to add to this discussion. But, before I hunker down for finals, I wish you guys LOTS of luck!

[Faraday]

Well for anyone else applying to University of Maryland, they are apparently looking at applications. I was emaied this morning to set up a phone interview with a professor so he could answer my questions about their program. If you haven't applied yet it would probably be wise to get your application in as soon as possible.

I had the phone interview today. The professor I spoke with from the admissions comittee said he didn't see any reason why I wouldn't be accepted. I guess that's an unofficial acceptance. Exciting news heading into the holiday season! Seeing as how my transcripts haven't arrived yet I am hoping this means I had excellent LORs.

Edited December 5, 2012 by Faraday

[theoretician]

Hey, so I'm kind of freaking out because I just got my chemistry subject GRE score and it was well below what I had thought I was getting (~50%). 5 of the programs I'm applying to (Berkeley, Boston University, MIT, Princeton, and UCSB) either recommend the test or strongly recommend it, so I held off on requesting the subject score be sent to those 5 schools until I got my score. Now that I got my score, do you think I should sent it to these schools or will it hurt my application anywhere if it is not technically required (what's worse: a low score or no score)?

Also, I was planning on sending all of my schools an email tomorrow telling them my subject score incase they havent started to evaluate my application without it and could get a head start instead of waiting a couple weeks for the official score report (since I submitted all my applications already). However, I am now thinking that I don't want to draw attention to this low score by telling them the score in the email. What do you think I should do concerning this?

Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

[ouang]

Hey, so I'm kind of freaking out because I just got my chemistry subject GRE score and it was well below what I had thought I was getting (~50%). 5 of the programs I'm applying to (Berkeley, Boston University, MIT, Princeton, and UCSB) either recommend the test or strongly recommend it, so I held off on requesting the subject score be sent to those 5 schools until I got my score. Now that I got my score, do you think I should sent it to these schools or will it hurt my application anywhere if it is not technically required (what's worse: a low score or no score)?

Also, I was planning on sending all of my schools an email tomorrow telling them my subject score incase they havent started to evaluate my application without it and could get a head start instead of waiting a couple weeks for the official score report (since I submitted all my applications already). However, I am now thinking that I don't want to draw attention to this low score by telling them the score in the email. What do you think I should do concerning this?

Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm in the same boat. My GRE score is about 50%, which is way below what I've expected. I think it depends on the schools you are applying to and your whole application package. I talked to a professor in grad school during my summer research, and he told me they would prefer to see the score, even though it's just a mediocre one (their program recommend subject GRE).

But I'm still hesitating to send my scores to several prestigious programs (Berkeley, UW).

[theoretician]

My biggest question is do you think they would penalize you for submitting a mediocre score if there may be some people out there who don't send a score?

[lilam]

Mine is even lower! I'm trying to wrap my mind arround how badly I did. Like wow. Do you think there was a mistake in the grading? LOL I'm doomed.

[9010hh]

It was very strange how the exam had so much content in biochemistry...

[lilam]

Hey, so I'm kind of freaking out because I just got my chemistry subject GRE score and it was well below what I had thought I was getting (~50%). 5 of the programs I'm applying to (Berkeley, Boston University, MIT, Princeton, and UCSB) either recommend the test or strongly recommend it, so I held off on requesting the subject score be sent to those 5 schools until I got my score. Now that I got my score, do you think I should sent it to these schools or will it hurt my application anywhere if it is not technically required (what's worse: a low score or no score)?

Also, I was planning on sending all of my schools an email tomorrow telling them my subject score incase they havent started to evaluate my application without it and could get a head start instead of waiting a couple weeks for the official score report (since I submitted all my applications already). However, I am now thinking that I don't want to draw attention to this low score by telling them the score in the email. What do you think I should do concerning this?

Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

You are so lucky you didn't send them already. I sent them out for free thinking it will save me money T_T. Should I talk about it in my SOP?

[theoretician]

I sent out the 4 for free that I could with the test. I just held off sending the ones that were either recommended or strongly recommended, which was only 5 of the 14 schools I applied to though, so the rest will see my low score. I still don't know how I got this grade, too late now.

[lilam]

I sent out the 4 for free that I could with the test. I just held off sending the ones that were either recommended or strongly recommended, which was only 5 of the 14 schools I applied to though, so the rest will see my low score. I still don't know how I got this grade, too late now.

I don't know if its just my wishful thinking, but there's really something weired about the score.

[ouang]

My biggest question is do you think they would penalize you for submitting a mediocre score if there may be some people out there who don't send a score?

He told me he would prefer the students with mediocre scores over those who don't send scores at all. But I am not sure how things work in other schools.

Maybe I'll send my scores anyways. It will not help my application, but I doubt it would hurt it. I don't think its an important part in app.

By the way, I still don't understand how my percentile is this low...

[synorg]

there's likely not an error in grading lol. my advice is to not spend time in you SoP calling attention to a weakness. spend that space telling them why they should take you, rather than "well i kinda fucked up but i promise it won't happen again because i'm actually smart...i promise."

things happen. some people have perfect applications, most don't. as far as deciding send bad score or don't send any score, i don't have any basis to make a suggestion. but i strongly recommend you do NOT call attention to any shortcomings in your SoP unless they had some profound influence in your development as a scientist (i.e. overcoming some setback). a shitty subject GRE score does NOT qualify.

it's easy to freak out over every detail in the app, but like i said just try to put your best foot forward and sell your strengths as an independently thinking researcher.

[lilam]

there's likely not an error in grading lol. my advice is to not spend time in you SoP calling attention to a weakness. spend that space telling them why they should take you, rather than "well i kinda fucked up but i promise it won't happen again because i'm actually smart...i promise."

things happen. some people have perfect applications, most don't. as far as deciding send bad score or don't send any score, i don't have any basis to make a suggestion. but i strongly recommend you do NOT call attention to any shortcomings in your SoP unless they had some profound influence in your development as a scientist (i.e. overcoming some setback). a shitty subject GRE score does NOT qualify.

it's easy to freak out over every detail in the app, but like i said just try to put your best foot forward and sell your strengths as an independently thinking researcher.

I know. It's just that this has become my biggest problem in my applications. Oh well, in a few months I'll know if the uni's are going to bother with me at all.Thanks for the advice.

[Faraday]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought sometimes percentiles can be misleading. Foriegners score very highly which can scew things for more "mediocore" test takers.

[theoretician]

From what I have seen on this forum and just heard in general (and correct me if I'm wrong), below 50% probably looks bad and may hurt your chances, 50%-70% is a mediocre score (probably won't help or hurt you), 70%-80% is a good score, and 80% and above is a great score. I'm assuming this applies to domestic students and that they expect international applicants to score very highly (80% and above?). This is what I've heard, but who knows what the admissions committees really think about the test.

Edited December 10, 2012 by theoretician

[synorg]

you won't have to look hard to find discussions on here about domestic vs international scores on the standardized tests. the whole thing is skewed. but seriously, these schools are going to accept you if they think you will do good research, or they'll reject you if they don't think so. they're not going to be as concerned about the breadth of your chemistry knowledge.

[theoretician]

you won't have to look hard to find discussions on here about domestic vs international scores on the standardized tests. the whole thing is skewed. but seriously, these schools are going to accept you if they think you will do good research, or they'll reject you if they don't think so. they're not going to be as concerned about the breadth of your chemistry knowledge.

That is somewhat reassuring, but I am still very nervous about the low score.

[Pyridoxal_phos]

I was told to not send in my scores unless I got above 80% for the schools that "strongly recommend" you submit. I got 61% on mine so I did not send scores to the programs that didn't require it. Just my $.02

[gps]

Heard from UIUC and Princeton today! I wasn't expecting to hear back for a few more weeks, so it was pretty exciting.